Trump Calls for U.N. Reform, Cites ‘Bureaucracy and Mismanagement’

President Donald Trump on Monday called for the United Nations to reform itself during his first trip to the international body’s New York City headquarters, urging the U.N. to invest “more in people and less in bureaucracy.”

Sitting next to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Trump praised many of the organization’s goals and past actions, but said institutional change is needed.

“Yet in recent years, the United Nations has not reached its full potential because of bureaucracy and mismanagement,” Trump said at a special forum entitled “Reforming the United Nations: Management, Security, and Development.” “While the United Nations on a regular budget has increased by 140 percent and its staff has more than doubled since 2000, we are not seeing the results in line with this investment.”

“We seek a United Nations that regains the trust of the people around the world,” Trump said. “In order to achieve this, the United Nations must hold every level of management accountable, protect whistleblowers, and focus on results rather than on process.”

Trump also said it is unfair for any one country to “shoulder a disproportionate share of the [U.N.’s] burden” for both military and financial matters. Currently, the United States is the U.N.’s largest financial backer, covering about 22 percent of its budget.

On Tuesday, Trump will address the U.N. General Assembly for the first time.